The Westside Warrior volleyball team defeated the Kearney Bearcats in an energetic battle for a trip to Lincoln. The Warriors swept the Bearcats to earn the District Champions title and land a spot in the State Championship.
The Bearcats started off with a lot of energy leading their runs but the Warriors quickly bounced back to take the first set 25-21. Both teams kept the momentum up leading into the second set but the Warriors took over and won the set 25-20. The third set went back and forth between each team but the Warriors finished strong with a score of 25-18 securing their spot in Lincoln. This win meant a lot for the team but it especially meant a lot for our seniors. Sweeping their opponent to be Distrcit Champions for their last high school game on their home court was such a special moment for them all. Senior outside hitter Madeline Lamb talks about what it meant for her.
“It means a lot especially because we swept them and I don’t know I’m going to miss it obviously but I’m excited for college,” Lamb said.
Senior libero Jane Kubat had recently undergone surgery and was unfortuantely not able to play. This was a very sad loss for the team but Junior Mary Bahle stepped in to take her spot and played a great game. She averaged 2.3 digs per set and had 7 digs against the Bearcats. Kubat said that she was so proud of Bahle and she thinks that Bahle was the perfect person to fill in her shoes. Bahle will play the remainder of the season as the starting libero and Kubat will be cheering on her teammates no matter the situation. Kubat is a very beloved player on this team and senior outside hitter Reagan Siebler tells how this loss is impacting the team.
“Jane is our like best friend on this team. Like obviously we are all super close, but Jane was like a great leader and I think now we’re just even more motivated to do it for her if she can’t do it for herself,” Siebler said.
The Westside volleyball program is headed to state for the fifth year in a row and they could not be more excited. Westside has never won a state tournament for volleyball and these girls are very motivated to be the first team to bring a title home. The farthest the team has gotten in the tournament in past years was winning runner up to Papillion La Vista South in 2022. Senior right side hitter Makenzie Wingett shares her excitement about the team playing for the title.
“It’s exhilarating. Like for our younger girls it’s brand new for them. They’re nervous. They’ve never done this before and we are really excited to be able to share this energy witht them,” Wingett said. “It’s my second time going. I’m more than excited. I love these girls and I’m so excited to get to play with them more.”
Last year the Warriors lost to Grand Island in the first round of state and were not able to advance in the tournament. Needless to say, the Warriors are ready to give it all they’ve got to bring home a Westside championship. The girls are all very excited but they know that they need to prepare a lot. Senior libero Jane Kubat talked about what the girls will be doing to get ready for these matches.
“I think they’re just going to get in the gym and work hard and try to figure some stuff out and we got that.”
The Warriors will play Marian in the first round of state on Wednesday November 5. The game is at 7:00 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.
